McGraw-Hill's Postal Exams 473/473C »

Mark Alan Stewart is the author of more than 20 bestselling test-prep guides.

Beat the competition—and get the job you want with the U.S. Postal Service!

Jobs with the U.S. Postal Service offer good pay, great benefits, and excellent security. But the new 473 and 473-C screening exams are tough, and you must score high if you want to get hired. That's why you need McGraw-Hill's Postal Exams 473/473-C-the total test-prep guide for entry-level USPS jobs.

Postal exams 473 and 473-C test your skills in these categories: Address Checking, Forms Completion, and Coding and Memory. Speed and accuracy are all-important, so you need lots of practice with questions just like the ones on the real exam-and that's exactly what you'll find in this guide. The sample tests in this book will help you work faster and better on test day. You'll build the skills you need to beat the competition—and get the postal job you want.

McGraw-Hill's Postal Exams 473/473-C includes:

• 7 full-length practice exams based on the real 473 and 473-C postal tests
• Hundreds of practice questions just like the ones on the real test
• Valuable information on physical and other requirements for entry-level jobs
• PLUS: The latest information on postal careers, hiring procedures, benefits, and salary

Mark Alan Stewart is the author of more than 20 bestselling test-prep guides.

How to Use This Book     ix
USPS Jobs and Taking Test 473     1
Working for the U.S. Postal Service in Entry-Level Jobs: Eligibility, Requirements, and Benefits     3
Postal Jobs Requiring Test 473 Scores     3
City Carrier     4
Mail Processing Clerk     4
Mail Handler     5
Sales, Services, and Distribution Associate     5
Jobs Requiring Scores from Other Postal Exams     5
Rural Carrier Associate     6
Data Conversion Operator     6
USPS Employment Eligibility Requirements     6
USPS Compensation and Employment Benefits     7
Health Insurance     7
Social Security and Medicare     7
Retirement Benefits     8
Life Insurance     8
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)     8
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)     8
Vacation and Sick Leave     8
Holidays     8
All About Test 473     9
Format and Description of Test 473     9
Address Checking     10
Forms Completion     10
Coding and Memory     10
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     10
How Test473 Is Scored     11
Address Checking     11
Forms Completion     11
Coding and Memory     11
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     12
Applying to Take Test 473     12
Vacancy Announcements     12
Postal Exam Telephone Hotline Numbers     12
How to Apply to Take the Exam     13
After You Apply for the Exam-the Scheduling Notice     14
Exam Accommodations for Persons with Qualifying Disabilities     15
The Day of the Exam     15
Testing Procedures and Rules     16
After the Test-Your Rating on the Entrance Register     16
General Test-Taking Strategies     17
Avoid Random Guesswork in Parts A, C, and D     17
Consider Random Guesswork for Part B-but Only If You're Running Out of Time     17
Don't Be Afraid to Mark Up Your Test Booklet     18
Develop a System for Marking Your Answer Sheet     18
Pace Yourself Properly, So That You Have Time to Check Your Answers     18
Content and Lessons     21
Address Checking     23
Types of Errors to Look For     24
Names     25
Numbers     25
Types of Errors Not to Look For     25
Punctuation     25
Capitalization     25
Incorrect ZIP Codes     25
Types of Errors That Are Easily Overlooked     26
Cities-Spelling Errors     26
Street Names That Look or Sound Similar     26
Street Names-Compass Directions     27
Street Names-Is It a "Road" or a "Drive"?     27
Is It "Kansas City, KS" or "Kansas City, MO"?     28
Address-Checking Strategies     28
Check Each Part of Each Address Separately     28
Use Your Fingers to Point to Addresses as You're Checking Them     29
Mark Errors with Your Pencil as You Find Them     29
Mark Your Answer Choices in Groups on the Answer Sheet     29
Pace Yourself So You Have Enough Time to Check Your Answers     30
Address-Checking Practice Drills     30=970 14$lPractice Drill 1     30=970 14$lPractice Drill 2     32=970 14$lPractice Drill 3     34=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     37=970 14$lPractice Drill 5     40
Answer Sheet     45=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     45=970 14$lPractice Drill 5     45
Answer Key     46=970 14$lPractice Drill 1     46=970 14$lPractice Drill 2     46=970 14$lPractice Drill 3     46=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     47=970 14$lPractice Drill 5     47
Forms Completion     49
Three Types of Questions     50
Identifying Information for a Particular Field     50
Identifying the Appropriate Field for a Given Type of Information     51
Identifying the Type of Information and Where to Enter It     52
Strategies for Forms Completion     52
Familiarize Yourself with the Form     52
If a Form Confuses You, Skip It and Come Back to It Later     52
Answer the Questions in the Order Presented     53
Mark Your Answer Choices on Your Answer Sheet in Groups     53
Pace Yourself     53
Forms Completion Practice Drills     53=970 14$lPractice Drill 1     54=970 14$lPractice Drill 2     56=970 14$lPractice Drill 3     58=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     60=970 14$lPractice Drill 5     62
Answer Sheet     64
Answer Key     65=970 14$lPractice Drill 1     65=970 14$lPractice Drill 2     65=970 14$lPractice Drill 3      65=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     65=970 14$lPractice Drill 5     65
Coding and Memory     67
Coding Section     67
Memory Section     67
Coding Guide     68
Test Items Based on Sample Coding Guide     69
Strategies for the Coding Section of Part C     70
Code All Addresses for Each Street Name Separately; Start with the Street Names Appearing Only Once in the Coding Guide     70
Code the Addresses in Your Test Booklet First     72
Pace Yourself So That You Have Enough Time to Check Your Scored Answers     72
Strategies for the Memory Section of Part C     72
Reorganize the Coding Guide in a Way That's Easy to Memorize     72
Use Memory Techniques Such as Association to Help Fix Street Ranges in Your Mind     73
After Each Study Period, Immediately Jot Down the Address Ranges in Your Test Booklet     74
As You Code from Memory, Apply the Same Coding Strategies as for the Coding Section     75
Coding and Memory Practice Drills     75=970 14$lPractice Drill 1     76=970 14$lPractice Drill 2     79=970 14$lPractice Drill 3     82=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     85
Coding and Memory     88
Answer Sheet     101
Answer Key     104=970 14$lPractice Drill 1     104=970 14$lPractice Drill 2     104=970 14$lPractice Drill 3     104=970 14$lPractice Drill 4     105=970 14$lPractice Drill 5     105
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     107
Personal Characteristics     107
Agree/Disagree Questions     107
Frequency Questions     108
Experience     109
Strategies for Completing Part D Inventory     109
Never Choose More Than One Lettered Choice for Any Question     109
Respond to the Questions in Part D Based on Your Experiences in a Job or Other Work Setting, if Possible     110
Read Each Statement Very Carefully Before Responding to It     110
Respond to All Questions in Part D as Honestly as Possible     110
Work Through Part D at a Reasonably Quick Pace     110
Mark Your Responses on the Answer Sheet in Groups     111
There's No Need to Practice for Part D of the Test     111
Practice Tests     113
Practice Test 1     115
Address Checking     115
Forms Completion     120
Coding and Memory     130
Coding Section     131
Memory Section     136
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     143
Answer Sheet     144
Address Checking     145
Forms Completion     145
Coding and Memory     146
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     146
Answer Key     147
Address Checking     147
Forms Completion     147
Coding and Memory     148
Practice Test 2     149
Address Checking     149
Forms Completion     154
Coding and Memory     164
Coding Section     165
Memory Section     170
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     177
Answer Sheet     178
Address Checking     179
Forms Completion     179
Coding and Memory     180
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     180
Answer Key     181
Address Checking     181
Forms Completion     181
Coding and Memory     182
Practice Test 3     183
Address Checking     183
Forms Completion      189
Coding and Memory     200
Coding Section     201
Memory Section     206
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     213
Answer Sheet     214
Address Checking     215
Forms Completion     215
Coding and Memory     216
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     216
Answer Key     217
Address Checking     217
Forms Completion     217
Coding and Memory     218
Practice Test 4     219
Address Checking     219
Forms Completion     224
Coding and Memory     234
Coding Section     235
Memory Section     240
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     247
Answer Sheet     248
Address Checking     249
Forms Completion     249
Coding and Memory     250
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     250
Answer Key     251
Address Checking     251
Forms Completion     251
Coding and Memory     252
Practice Test 5     253
Address Checking     253
Forms Completion     258
Coding and Memory     268
Coding Section     269
Memory Section     274
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     281
Answer Sheet     282
Address Checking     283
Forms Completion     283
Coding and Memory     284
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     284
Answer Key     285
Address Checking     285
Forms Completion     285
Coding and Memory     286
Practice Test 6     287
Address Checking     287
Forms Completion     292
Coding and Memory     302
Coding Section     303
Memory Section     308
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     315
Answer Sheet     316
Address Checking     317
Forms Completion     317
Coding and Memory     318
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     318
Answer Key     319
Address Checking     319
Forms Completion     319
Coding and Memory      320
Practice Test 7     321
Address Checking     321
Forms Completion     326
Coding and Memory     336
Coding Section     337
Memory Section     342
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     349
Answer Sheet     350
Address Checking     351
Forms Completion     351
Coding and Memory     352
Personal Characteristics and Experience Inventory     352
Answer Key     353
Address Checking     353
Forms Completion     353
Coding and Memory     354
USPS Hotline Numbers     355